The Past
by Byne Zearse
Summary: AU, Valenwind, Yaoi, M for content, language, and possible lemons What happens in the past, usually stays in the past... full summary inside Ch.10 up!
1. Meeting

Huzzah! I finally started! Actually...I had this written a while ago, but couldn't think of a title. I know, sad, isn't it? Well, I might change the title later on, but that all depends on if I can think of a better one. But, you should enjoy this! It's meant to be enjoyed. Like cake, or ice cream...yum...

Summary: What happens in the past, usually stays in the past. But what happens if the past resurfaces? Vincent, on a search for atonement, is going to find out...the hard way.

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or it's characters. Sucks, I know.

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The desert heat radiated from the ground. Scorpions and lizards scurried around, trying to get out of the way of a lone figure. Hooded and cloaked in scarlet cloth for protection from the blazing sun, the figure's tired, crimson eyes scanned the horizon, seeming to search for something as the figure's pointed boots continued moving the person over the sand.

Passing the bleached bones of a desert hare, one that happened to have met the fate of being the meal of another desert dweller, the figure continued on as a speck appeared in the distance. Walking closer, the figure's ruby eyes stared at it, the figure never wavering from it's seemingly destined path.

The closer the person came to the speck, the louder the sound of clucking chickens became. The speck seemed to grow from the horizon, becoming a large town, filled with tents and houses. Children ran around, playing with a ball and laughing. Chickens clucked and pecked at the ground from behind a fence. An oasis sat at the center of the town, the clear water sparkling in the light of the sun, as a large antenna stood beside it.

As the cloaked figure stepped through the town's main gate, it's eyes fluttered, and slowly the person fell to their knees, then face first into the ground, unconscious.

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Crimson eyes slowly opened, staring into a ceiling. Blinking away the sleep, the figure slowly sat up, and realized that his hood was down. His hair, long and the color of a raven's feathers, seemed to flow behind him. His face, smooth and pale like porcelain, was partially hidden by the high collar of the cloak.

Swinging his long legs over the side of the bed, the man looked at his surroundings. He saw a wooden dresser over in the corner of the room, and a desk with a matching chair near the door.

Standing up to his full height of six feet, the man walked about halfway to the door, stopping as it started to open. A little girl of about six stepped into the room, and the girl and the man looked at each other for a second. Finally, the girl ran out of the room, calling out "Tifa!"

The man seemed unfazed by this, and continued to walk out of the room, his cloak billowing around him. Outside the room was a short hallway, with two more doors besides the one the man came from. Noises of people talking and glasses being set on wood seemed to permeate from beyond one of the doors. Grabbing the handle to that door, using his right hand, he twisted it and opened the door.

His eyes instantly scanned the room. From the smoky atmosphere, to the slightly 'happy' patrons, to the large wooden counter with many bottles behind it, the man quickly assumed it was a bar.

"Oh! I just heard from Marlene that you woke up." A brunette woman stood behind the bar, a warm smile on her face as her ample bosom seemed to threaten to tear open her t-shirt to escape from it's confinement. The little girl from before, whom the man assumed to be Marlene, clung to the woman's leg as she looked up at the man. Returning his gaze to the woman, she gestured towards a stool at the bar. "Have a seat and I'll get you something to drink."

The man shook his head. "I don't have any money."

The brunette smiled. "Then how about this: As payment, you tell some things about yourself. Deal?"

Normally, the man wouldn't agree to a deal like this. The less people knew about him, the better off he was. However, he was extremely thirsty now, and without any gil...

Silently cursing the desert and his thirst, he sat down, saying "Water."

The bartender looked down at Marlene, who ran off to get the man his man his drink. Leaning against the bar, the woman started her questions. "So, what's your name?"

The man calmly looked back, his face unemotional. "Vincent Valentine."

A clink of glass on wood told Vincent that his water was ready. As he grabbed the glass, the woman said, "Ah. I'm Tifa, and this-" she gestured to the girl "-is Marlene. So, why are you traveling?"

Finishing the water, he placed the empty glass down on the bar, a flicker of sadness crossing his eyes before disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. "I'm...searching for something."

Tifa's smile seemed to falter a little. "Searching? For what?"

Vincent stared into space. "An apology...No, that's too simple...Atonement."

The bartender frowned a little, but her smile soon returned as she said "Well, I'm sure you'll find it."

Getting no response from the encouragement, Tifa continued her questions as Marlene went to refill Vincent's empty glass. "So, have you traveled with anyone?"

The crimson-eyed man shook his head. Frowning, Tifa asked "Do you have anything to protect yourself? Any martial arts training or a weapon?"

Shrugging, Vincent said, "A little...enough to get by."

Tifa threw up her hands in defeat as she sighed. "I've seen some foolhardy travelers before, but you're the first I've seen that doesn't carry some form of protection."

Getting only a shrug, Tifa grew quiet as she tended to her other customers as Marlene brought back Vincent's glass, now refilled. Closing his eyes, Vincent quietly drank his water in peace.

Half finished with his second water, Vincent could hear a loud, gruff laughter from outside. A groan escaped Tifa, as her hand went to her head to rub her eyes. "Marlene? Get the tea started."

As the young girl placed a kettle on the stove, the doors to the bar banged open. Vincent paid it no heed as heavy footsteps made their way through the bar. A bulky figure sat next to the raven-haired man, making a grunt as he pulled out a cigarette and a lighter.

After lighting up and sucking in some of the nicotine, the man proceeded to blow smoke rings into the air above himself. Vincent continued to drink his water, his eyes closed.

"Yo, Tifa! Who the fuck's this guy?" Vincent figured it was the man sitting next to him who spoke, noting the natural gruffness to it. He mentally shrugged off the comment, but opened his eyes as Tifa responded with "Him? That's Vincent."

"So, Vincent, eh? Not much to ya, is there?" Vincent, a little annoyed by the man, looked over at him. He was a little shorter than Vincent, but definitely more muscular. Tan and covered with grease from a machine, the man smirked around his lit cigarette, his bright blue eyes shining. His blonde hair seemed to stick up, and seemed to be held back by the goggles that were on his forehead. Vincent blinked at the man, who didn't seem to actually notice that Vincent was staring at him and was scratching his stubble.

Keeping quiet, Vincent watched as Marlene poured the man his tea, then pulled out a bottle filled with an amber colored liquid. As the girl quickly unscrewed the top, the crimson-eyed man could immediately smell the scent of whiskey in the air. Marlene then poured the liquor into the tea, and pushed the teacup towards the blonde man.

Taking a large gulp, the man smacked his lips. "Ah! Just what I needed."

Tifa now came over, and a sudden spark came into her eyes, like someone turned on a light bulb. "Hey, Cid?"

Looking up from his tea, he blew out a cloud of noxious smoke. "What do ya want?"

A smile traveled it's way onto Tifa's face, with a sort of puppy dog quality to her eyes. "Vincent here is traveling. Alone. Weaponless."

Cid cocked an eyebrow, giving a look to the cloaked man and then to the busty barmaid. "So? What the hell does that have to do with me?"

Tifa's eyes got a little bigger, and she said "You should go with him."

Cid's eyebrow went a little higher. "Excuse me? Why the fuck should I?"

"Because, you're...strong, and...kind." Tifa seemed to strain this out, but Cid apparently didn't notice that, only that he was getting praised.

He chest puffed out a little, Cid said "Well, as much as that is true...I still can't. Cloud made me the leader of Amaaria while he's gone."

Tifa just shrugged. "That's okay. I can take over."

Cid seemed to get a little frustrated. "Dammit, woman. Can't you tell I don't want to go?"

Tifa's eyes glinted, and she stood up straight. She then proceeded to crack her knuckles.

This is where Cid started to panic. "Uh...that's not healthy for ya. You really um...shouldn't...I..I...I don't have any extra money!"

The bartender smirked. "Then, if you go, I'll clear your bar tab."

The blonde seemed intrigued. "...How much is my tab?"

"64,255 gil."

Blinking a little, the smoker turned towards Vincent, extending his hand. "Well, I guess I'm going with ya. I'm Cid Highwind."

Vincent looked down at the hand, then back into the sky blue orbs of the other man. When had he agreed to this? Well, arguing now wouldn't solve anything. "Vincent Valentine."

"Tch...cold mother fucker." Cid mumbled, before finishing his tea and getting up. "You'll stay at my place tonight, and we'll leave tomorrow." Leaving, Vincent quietly got up, nodded to Tifa as a form of goodbye, and followed after the man, heading out into the darkened town.

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The house was filled with three things. Ashtrays, the smell of cigarettes, and many tiny machines and mechanisms. Vincent carefully avoided touching anything while walking through the house.

"Yo! Shera! You here?!" Cid yelled this through the house, and after five seconds of no response, turned back to Vincent. "Looks like she's not back. Listen, I'll sleep on the couch, and you'll take my room. Otherwise, Shera will bitch my ears off about not being hospitable. It's down the hall, the last room on the right."

Vincent quickly found the room, and closed the door behind himself. The room had a desk in one of the corners, and a queen-size bed beside the window. Taking off his boots and letting his toes wiggle a little, he went over to the bed, and started to undo the buckles that held his cloak on.

Dropping the cloak on the floor, Vincent sat on the bed, looking out the window and into the night. Bringing up his left knee, Vince leaned back on his right hand and let his left arm rest on his knee, the gauntlet and claws that adorned the arm shining in the moonlight. Sighing, he stared harder into the night.

/So...will tonight be filled with nightmares? ...Of course, there isn't a night that doesn't...\

To be continued...

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Huzzah! Now, to just finish ch. 2 and every other chapter after it...well, I better get to work then, huh? 


	2. Setting out

Hiya, all! Welcome to Ch. 2. I can feel your excitement...or that's the heartburn from the breakfast sausage...oh well. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII or it's characters...otherwise I would have thousands of Cids running around...shirtless...-drools- yum...

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The smell of tea, liquor, and cigarettes filled Vincent's nostrils as he woke up, his face buried into a pillow.

He sat up, his eyes wandering to the window. Vincent squinted his eyes as sunlight reflected off the water from the oases and into his eyes through the window.

Getting out of bed, the traveler stretched a little, a frown on his face. There had been nightmares. Nightmares from his past, filled with screams of terror and pain.

Putting on his cloak and boots, Vincent left the room, only to bump into a petite woman with glasses. The glasses slightly magnified the size of her eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm in a bit of a rush. The Captain will be finished with his shower soon, and will want his tea. Excuse me." And with that, she rushed off to the kitchen.

Vincent followed her, and quietly sat at the small, circular table, silently watching her work. The woman bustled around in the kitchen like a pro, getting the tea ready like it was a habit.

"I really am sorry about earlier. I usually pay more attention, but the Captain doesn't really want to go, so he's really irritable now." Blinking, the raven-haired man now realized the petite woman was speaking to him. He gave a small nod, and she continued. "I would like to go, but I'm indebted to him. I can't leave."

There was a small pang in the man's chest. He pitied the woman, and his face obviously held traces of his feelings. Sitting down at the table, the woman laughed. "Oh, it's nothing like that. He save my life, while losing something that was...dear to him."

Vincent's face went back to being emotionless, and he gave another small nod. The woman took this as a sign to tell her story, so she did. "Cid...The Captain...used to travel all over the world. He was quite the adventurer. Good fighter, good explorer, good looking...but, one day, he decided to take a break."

"Finding a small, quiet town in the desert, he bought a house to recuperate from his most recent travels. He definitely had the money for it, seeing as how he was a mercenary. He wasn't the cheapest, but he was one of the best. Anyways, a traveling merchant came through the town, possessing many rare and valuable items."

Heaving a small sigh, she seemed to take a deep breath before continuing. "Cid, curious, decided to browse through the wares, not expecting there to be anything he would want, only to find something that would help his dreams come true. He found and purchased the unfinished blueprints to an airplane."

"The man always dreamed of being like a bird, flying high in the sky and passing through and over clouds. He had tried many times before to get some form of craft in the air, but couldn't manage anything over a few feet. These blueprints were his ticket to his dream."

Shaking her head, like she was disappointed, she then said, "He finished the blueprints, then handed them over to a woman, one that lived in the town, for review. She happily accepted them, took them home, and got to work."

Vincent's crimson eyes seemed to flicker with enlightenment. The woman noticed, and nodded. "Yes, that woman was me, little ole' Shera. I ended up starting dinner for myself, and fell asleep while going over the plans."

Looking towards the window with a sad look on her face, she watched as children ran around the oasis, playing a friendly game of tag. "The house caught fire, and by the time I woke up, there wasn't a way out. Cid ended up jumping through the window, grabbed me, and retreated. We managed to make it out, only to watch as the house fell into shambles, everything within becoming nothing more than tinder for the flames."

Turning her head back to Vincent, Shera let a small smile onto her face. "He let me live with him after that. I do my fair share around here, so it's not a charity, but...he still blames me for those blueprints. But, he does have a reason. Neither of us can remember the specs of it, no matter how much we try. And that bandage on his temple? That's to cover a scar he got from rescuing me. Both of those...and I crushed his dream, as well."

There was an awkward silence, which was shortly broken by the teakettle's whistle. "Oh, would you like some tea as well?"

Vincent nodded at the question, and gratefully took a steaming mug. Taking a sip, two tastes fused together on his tongue, but he couldn't place what flavors they were. All her could tell was that it tasted like heaven in a cup. He quickly gave a curious glance to the woman, only to receive a chuckle in return.

"I put cinnamon and blueberries in the water when boiling it. The captain loves it, but blueberries are rare around here, so he doesn't get it often.."

"I don't get what often?" The gruff voice made Shera jump and Vincent blink. Cid walked around the corner, fully dressed, his hair damp, and a towel hanging around his shoulders.

"Oh! Just your tea, Captain." Shera's easiness from earlier seemed to vanish with Cid's appearance, as she now sat up straighter and wasn't as chatty.

"Hmph." Sitting down to drink his own tea, he tossed the towel over into the kitchen corner, pulled out a cigarette and his lighter, and lit up. Vincent just sat quietly in his seat, drinking from his own cup.

Vincent's ears perked up a little as he heard three loud knocks from a back door. Looking around, he noticed Cid, who was smirking, getting up from his seat.

"Let me show ya something." The blonde man started to head into the back of the house and out the back door, while Vincent obediently followed.

Squinting from the bright sunlight, Vincent raised his hand to block out some of it, only to gaze upon...a boat?

"This, my gothic friend, is my Tiny Bronco. My baby. Our transportation, too. Fucking amazing, isn't it?" After giving a small glare at the gothic comment, he returned his gaze to the ship, a questioning look in his crimson eyes.

"Ah! You must be wondering how this lovely piece of mechanical genius works. Well, it's a type of hovercraft. Able to float a few feet off the ground, thanks to four large fans built into the bottom, this baby will make traveling to the desert as easy as a two gil whore!"

Proud of himself, he puffed out his chest, only to have his moment of glory interrupted by a call of "Captain." from a person by the ship.

The person, a male, looked like he was in his early twenties. He was as tall as Cid, and his short, bright blue hair was almost the same color of the water in the oasis, and a small pair of glasses sat on the tip of his nose. He also held a clipboard in one hand, a pen in the other. Cid, obviously knowing the new man, called out "Where are the other punks?"

As the man raised his hand, the blonde man quickly covered his ears. The man stuck two fingers in his mouth and let out a loud, shrill whistle, which didn't seem to affect Vincent.

Soon, two figures appeared on the deck, emerging from beneath, and jumped over the side, landing with relative ease next to the blue-haired man. One was a man, who was an inch sorter than Vincent, with a green mohawk and many piercings in his ears and eyebrows, along with grease and oil on his face. The other was actually a girl, about twenty, and was the shortest of the entire group. She was obviously muscular, though not as muscled as Cid or the man with the mohawk, and had her hair, which was a deep purple, in a long ponytail.

"Vin, these are the punks. Punks, meet Vincent, our newest passenger." Cid said this with a small wave, as if not really caring.

"Ouch, Captain. That hurts." A flash of metal from the mouth of the mohawk man let Vincent know that his tongue was pierced. With a small smile, he gave a wave. "I'm Fallen. You know, like a fallen angel? Anyway, I handle the engine and repairs, unless the Captain takes care of 'em first, of course."

The blue-haired man spoke next. "...Koro. I handle supplies and medical help." Quiet and reserved, Vincent decided that him and Koro would get along quite well.

"Mizuki. Comment on my height, and I'll give you a good pounding. I handle driving and navigation." The girl said, her tone light and a smile on her face.

Taking another look at all three of the workers, the raven-haired man noticed they all wore matching jumpsuits and had goggles around their necks. Nodding to each of them in greeting, Vincent turned to Cid. "Highwind, are we leaving yet or not?"

"Tch. Impatient little bastard, aren't ya? Crew! Status of the Tiny Bronco?"

Fallen spoke first. "Engine is fine, and there are no damages or wears on the ship."

"...Supplies are stocked." was all Koro said.

Mizuki, the final one to speak, winked as she said "I'm ready, so let's get the heck outta here already."

Cid nodded in approval, putting his goggles over his eyes as he headed up a ramp and onto the ship. "Then let's move out!"

The crew followed him, putting on their goggles as they said "Captain!" in unison.

Vincent followed last, putting on his hood. Cid brought the ramp onto the ship once Vincent was on, and gave a wave to Mizuki, who started up the ship. It roared to life, and Vincent figured that, if he was close enough, he could probably hear Cid purring with delight. Looking out to the town, he wondered if he was ever going to see it again.

Finally, they lifted off the ground, and started to move, picking up speed as they headed north.

To be continued...

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Yay! What's going to happen next? Who knows? Well, I do, but that's besides the point. 

Thanks to andrhats and Citakar for reviewing! And that last thought... ..'oops. I meant to end it like "...there isn't a night that doesn't have them..." ...I think...

People reading should review. It makes me feel happy inside, and will give you that feeling, too.


	3. The start of something

GASP! Byne lives! I know this one took so long to come, but I've been busy with school, and whenever I had time, writer's block kicked in. Blarg...oh well, it's here, anyway!

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII or it's characters...but the three crew members did sprout from my mind.

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Vincent sat on the deck of the Tiny Bronco, his hood up to protect himself from the wind, watching the desert scenery. The sun was starting to set, and the rosy light painted the desert in front of him. Him and the crew of the hovercraft had been traveling for quite a bit of time, and still had a ways to go till they reached the northern shore and the town of Corania.

The crimson-eyed man tilted his head a little as he noticed that the ship was starting to slow down. It finally came to a stop, and made a muffled thump as it landed softly on the sand beneath.

Quickly walking into the bridge, Vincent, after taking off his hood, gave a confused look to the crew members and their Captain, and calmly asked "...Why did we stop?"

"It's almost night, we're tired, and we're hungry. Got a problem with it, Vin?" It was Cid who answered, his lit cigarette twitching between his lips with every word.

"...My name is Vincent, not 'Vin', Highwind." Vincent's voice held a touch of annoyance, but Cid shrugged it off, only to get a glare.

"...So, who's making dinner?" Fallen was the one to break the silence, his hand scratching the back of his head.

With the flipping of a few papers on his clipboard, Koro looked at his green-haired coworker, saying only a simple "You."

The traveler could only watch on with slight amusement as Fallen now seemed to panic. "Uh...well, you know I would, but..."

Pushing up his glasses with his middle finger, the blue-haired crew member let out a slightly irritated sigh. "The usual arrangement, then?"

With a grin and a thumbs up, Fallen said a quick "You got it! See ya!" before running off. Vincent smirked behind his high collar as he heard a distinct cheer of "Booze!" come from the man.

While Cid and Mizuki happily followed Fallen to get wasted, Koro walked in the opposite direction. Wanting a calm atmosphere more than one filled with drunken yelling and ramblings, Vincent quietly followed Koro, and was led to the kitchen of the ship.

The blue-haired man had stuck his now steamed-up glasses on the top of his head, and was in the process of making what smelled like curry. The raven-haired man watched on as Koro started to hum a soft tune, a small, content smile on his face.

When finished, Koro took the curry, and asked Vincent "Can you carry the rice?" Nodding, the traveler picked up the pot and followed the quiet man to a dining room, where the other two crew members and the Captain were having a jolly good time, as an empty liquor bottle sat on the floor, tipped over on it's side.

"'Bout time you fuckers got done! I'm starving!" Cid, loud and quite drunk, motioned for them to bring the food over and sit.

As they started to eat, the crew started talking about things that happened in their pasts. Vincent, however, stayed quiet, his head down as he ate his food, a flicker of sadness playing across his face.

"Hey. Vincent." Looking up, Vincent met eyes with Mizuki. "Why so sad?"

Shaking his head, Mizuki smiled and pulled a bottle from behind her back. Gysahl Vodka was written in neat black cursive on the label as the clear liquid sloshed around in the bottle. "This'll get you happy before you know...huh?"

A pair of thuds had interrupted the woman, and Vincent looked over to see that both Fallen and Cid had both passed out onto the table. Koro, shaking his head, let out a sigh as he picked Fallen up with relative ease, almost as if out of habit, and carried him off and out of the dining room. Vincent only stared at Cid, who was faintly snoring, as he wondered whether or not he should carry the Captain to his room.

Letting out a small grunt of disapproval, Mizuki stood and walked over to Cid, grabbing one of his arms and slinging it over her shoulder. She started to pick him up, and Vincent moved to help her, grabbing the Captain's other arm and slinging it over his shoulders, his gauntlet glinting in the light. Mizuki stared for a moment, and, after realizing that she was being glared at, started to lead the other two towards the rooms.

As they traveled, Vincent started memorizing the layout of the ship, making a mental map so as not to get lost in the future. However, because of this, he almost didn't notice that the purple-haired woman had stopped in front of a door, and almost kept on walking.

She let go of the Cid, leaving Vincent to take his full weight, and motioned to the door. "That's his room. You can take him in there by yourself. Last time I went in there, I almost twisted my ankle on a beer can." As she started to head off to her own room, she motioned down the hallway. "Your room's the first door on the left in that direction."

With a little trouble, Vincent opened the door to the room, and carried Cid into it. Shuffling his feet through the room, the occasional sound of metal being kicked rang up to Vincent's ears, letting the man know that Cid was not only a drinker, but also a pig.

Finally reaching the queen-sized bed, Vincent gracelessly dropped Cid onto it and started to walk away, only to let out a small yelp of pain as his head snapped back.

Looking back, the crimson-eyed man noticed that Cid, while pretty much passed out, had managed to tangle his fingers into Vincent's hair. After getting a little closer, the traveler slowly started to work the hair out of the older man's grasp, trying to be as gentle as possible.

Once free, Vincent let out a sigh of relief and started to leave when Cid started to stir a little. Turning and watching, he could faintly hear the Captain mumble "...Soft..." as he rolled over.

The raven-haired man fingered his hair, a small blush creeping onto his face. True, he had always kept his hair in good condition, otherwise it would just get in the way, but he never thought about what others thought of it.

Shaking his head to dislodge the thoughts, the man headed towards his room. Once in, he quickly closed the door and took off his boots and cloak, depositing them on a chair that was in the corner of the room.

Flexing his gauntlet in the moonlight that shone through the window, he let out a tired sigh and headed into the bathroom that was attached to the room. Turning on the shower, Vincent took off his shirt and looked in the mirror, tracing his fingers over the numerous scars that ran all over his torso.

As the mirror started to steam over, the man took off his pants and gauntlet, and stepped into the shower. As the hot water washed over him, Vincent, almost as if out of habit, started to trace his finger across what seemed to be a tattoo of a pentacle on the back of the hand that normally had the gauntlet on it. At each point of the star, there were one or two letters: H, C, HM, DG, and GB. In the center space sat four blood red letters, which contrasted to the black of the rest of the mark: DBVV.

To be continued...

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Wow, I can point out a few things. 

(1). The tune I was going for was 1000 words from FFX-2, cause it was stuck in my head when writing that part on Valentine's day.

(2). Yes, I did make so that Mizuki can hold her liquor better than the boys. Why? Cause she's cool like that.

(3). What does Vincent's tattoo mean? Guess you'll have to wait to find out -insert evil laughter-

So, that was me pointing things out. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it(although it was shorter than usual...). Thanks to all my reviewers, and I hope I'll get some more, too!


	4. Working for a ride

FInally Ch. 4 is here! I thought it would never be finished, to be honest. School has been riding my ass lately, and hasn't given me much time to work...but I'm trying, I swear! Anyways, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII or it's characters...and it's a damn shame, too.

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"You want HOW fucking much!?" Cid slammed his fist down on the counter, causing the woman behind it to jump, but her overly-exaggerated smile never faltered.

"100,000 Gil, sir. However, if you were to leave your vehicle behind, the price would drop considerably."

"I am NOT fucking leaving the Tiny Bronco! Fuck!" Cid reached into his pocket and pulled out his lighter and a cigarette, hoping the nicotine would help calm himself down.

"Sir? I'm sorry, but this is a non-smoking establishment." Vincent shook his head as the overly happy worker said this. He knew this wasn't going to end well.

"Yeah? Well, I'll smoke wherever the hell I damn well please!" Lighting his cigarette, he sucked in, then proceeded to blow the noxious fumes directly into the chipper woman's face. Her nose scrunched up a little as she pushed a red button on the counter, causing two extremely burly men to grab Cid by the arms and drag the pissy Captain outside.

Vincent silently followed, musing over the evens so far today.

The crew had gotten up around nine, and Cid and Fallen were sporting, as Vincent noticed, a nice shade of green from their hangovers. After a period of whining, Koro ended up making some vile smelling medicine. Once the two men had downed the strange concoction, they perked right up and the group started the hovercraft up. After about five hours of travel, they reached Corania, and started to search for a boat large enough to carry the Tiny Bronco. It was a difficult search, but when they finally found one...

Shaking his head, Vincent stepped out of the building and into the sun.

Corania was a tropical city, mixing together the heat of the desert with the moisture of the ocean, creating a humid climate that was enjoyed by vacationers. With gift and souvenir shops everywhere, and a large beach for the masses, the coastal town was always bustling with activity, and today was no different.

Vincent, being six feet in height, easily manipulated his way through the crowd, usually by towering over people and making them rush out of the way, he made his way to a large circle of space in the crowd. In the center of the circle, he found a still pissy Cid, who was picking himself off the ground and puffing angrily on his cancer stick.

Brushing himself off, Cid gave Vincent a glare. "Dammit Vin! Why didn't you fucking help?! We could've taken 'em!"

Sighing, and shaking his head once again, Vincent said "I didn't think you needed my help, Highwind...and my name isn't 'Vin'."

"Fine, Vin_cent_! Let's head back and try to pull _something_ out of our asses..." And with that, the two men trudged back through the crowds and back to the Tiny Bronco.

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"So...how'd it go?" The crew had gotten back before Vincent and Cid, obviously finished with refueling and restocking the hovercraft, and were waiting outside for them. Fallen was the one who asked the question, his voice filled with caution in case something bad happened.

"...How much money do we got?" Cid asked, looking towards Koro, who flipped through his papers.

"...After restocking...47,190 Gil."

The resulting swears startled even Vincent, and Cid started to walk off towards the desert, only to stop and walk back, lighting up another cigarette as he let the butt of the previous one fall to the ground. Anyone looking could see the cogs turning in the man's head, and didn't interrupt him as he thought. Finally, the spark of an idea brightened his face.

"We need 100,000 Gil...What if we put on a show? Show off our abilities to the public? Think that could get us enough cash?" He directed this to Koro, who let out a sigh as he started writing down calculations. Once finished, the blue-haired crew member let out another sigh. "If we put on any form of show, and we're good enough, we might have enough after fifty shows...an that's just a might."

"Damn...but we don't have much of a choice..." Cid started scratching his stubble, pacing back and forth as he tried to come up with another plan.

Vincent looked up as a pair of footsteps walked towards the group, and the others soon followed. A man that looked to be about his late twenties or early thirties, whose dark eyes seemed to shine with intelligence, scratched his scalp through his dark hair as he received the stares. "I might be able to get you passage on the ship..."

Cid, both suspicious and ecstatic at the same time, asked "What do we have to do?!" a little too happily.

A small smile formed on the new man's face. "Simple. Fight."

Everyone cocked their heads to the side, and Cid, as confused as the rest of the group, said "Huh?"

The man let out a chuckle. "Okay, maybe it's not that simple. I'm an inventor. My latest project is a robotic guard for children. I'm still in the testing period, and having people fight my creation results in the best data. If you fight, and win, I'll get you and your ship on the boat. Deal?"

Before the Captain could agree, Fallen, on apparently Koro's command, grabbed him and dragged him into a small circle, where Vincent and the Tiny Bronco crew started to discuss.

"It's a robot. It can't be too hard. I say we do it. Plus, when we use our weapons, it should be even easier." Fallen was the first to speak up.

"...I don't see a problem." This was Koro, who let out a shrug as he spoke.

"Bring it on." Mizuki said, a smile on her face and a glint in her eye.

Vincent and Cid both just nodded, and Cid turned and called out "You got yourself a deal, pal! Just give us a few minutes to get ready!" With that, The crew ran off into the hovercraft, leaving Vincent and the man alone.

"I'll be off getting ready too. I'm Reeve Tuesti. I'll come back with my partner in a moment, Vincent." Reeve turned away, only to feel a hand grip around his arm, holding him in place.

"...How do you know my name?" Suspicion filled Vincent's voice, and a small breeze blew by before Reeve could answer.

"I heard it in town from the temperamental one...Highwind, I believe you called him?"

A couple seconds passed, then Vincent finally let go, letting the man walk away as he got a sinking feeling in his stomach.

* * *

Before Reeve could make it back, the crew of the Bronco came out, weapons shining in the sun.

Cid carried a spear that was taller than Vincent himself, and wielded it with relative ease. Koro had many darts strapped to his belt, each one sharp and ready to fly. Mizuki had brass knuckles, and was busy cracking her real knuckles with her usual smile on her face. Fallen, the last to come out, had a pair of axes, each wielded in one hand.

Vincent blinked as all of them seemed ready to go at it, and watched as Fallen stepped forward, pulling a pistol from the waistband of his pants. "Koro told me to get rid of it awhile ago. Can you use it?"

Vincent grabbed the gun and expertly moved his hands around it, checking and examining it like an expert. Giving a small nod, he holstered it in one of his pockets, and took a box of bullets from Fallen, as well.

After that was done, Reeve had finally come back, a large bag slung over his shoulder. "Ah, I see you're ready. So, shall we get started?" Placing the sack on the ground, he calmly said "Alright, Cait Sith. Come out."

With those words, a cat jumped out. But, it wasn't any normal cat. It stood on it's hind legs, which were clad in red boots. It also had a red cap and a tiny crown. What shocked everyone even more was when it said "So these are my opponents?"

Reeve, his eyes shining, nodded. Cid took this as his chance and charged, thrusting his spear at the bipedal cat, only to watch as it gracefully jumped and landed on top of the shaft of the spear, making it thrust into the ground. "Ah ah ah! We haven't started yet. Besides, you should be more careful when attacking me. I'm made for fighting." And with that, Cait leapt onto Cid's head and leapt off, only to land in front of Mizuki.

She started to send a flurry of punches at the robotic guard, only to watch as it gracefully dodged each blow, before jumping and performing a back flip, landing a kick square in her jaw and knocking her down onto her buttocks. Getting ready to strike again, Cait stopped and jumped back, barely avoiding a rain of darts.

Koro had now stepped up, Fallen by his side. As the blue-haired crew member tossed more darts at the cat, Fallen charged, using the darts as a form of distraction. This, however, proved useless, as the cat caught two of the darts, dodged the rest, and threw them at the green-haired attacker, catching him in the knees and causing him to fall to the ground.

Cid charged again, this time jumping and swinging down, using the momentum to put more strength into his blow, only to have the bipedal cat jump and dodge. As Cait tried to strike back, there was a bang, and the inner workings of the cat spilled from the large hole that now existed in it's head.

Vincent put the gun back in his pocket, and calmly walked towards Reeve. "I believe that you owe us a boat ride."

With a chuckle, Reeve nodded. "That I do. I guess I need to work on fighting guns. Here. This should be enough." He placed a large bag into Vincent's outstretched hand, and started to walk away, picking up his now ruined creation and leaving the others to care to their wounds and head out.

"Well, that...was odd. But, hey! Now we can get on the boat!" Cid, being optimistic, chose to shrug off the glares from his crew members. Instead, he headed off to the hovercraft to get it started, leaving his fellow passengers to trudge back.

* * *

Reeve set the now destroyed Cait on his table, he picked up his phone and dialed a number. After a few rings, someone picked up, but didn't answer. "He's headed for Banal. It'll take him four days to arrive." And with that, Reeve hung up, and started to fix his invention, a small twinge of guilt in his face.

The other person hung up, a smirk on his face. He turned towards a large table where four others sat. "And so...the hunt begins."

To be continued...

* * *

Who are the five people that Reeve called? Why did Vincent get a bad feeling? Guess you'll have to wait and find out :3

R&R, please. I'll love you forever...maybe...it all depends on my mood.


	5. Resting up and relaxing

Alright! Ch. 5 is earlier than a week! It's a little short, but it is still somewhat important. Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

"I'm bored!" Yet again, Cid had started whining like a child to Vincent, who usually stayed on the deck of the Tiny Bronco, which sat in the cargo bay of the ship.

The ship, while large and quite spacious, was a type of cruise liner. This meant that there were many couples, parents, and children around. Vincent, preferring quiet, decided to keep to himself and avoid as many people as possible. However, no matter where he was, Cid managed to find him and complain about anything and everything. It was day three of the boat ride, and Vincent was almost at his limit.

"Then work on the Tiny Bronco, Highwind."

"But I already did!"

"Then bother one of your crew."

"I can't find them! They're hiding from me or something."

/Maybe they have the right idea...\ The crimson-eyed man thought to himself, hoping that staying quiet would make the blonde go away.

"Hey! Vin! You paying attention?" Noticing how badly his plan worked, Vincent tried another suggestion.

"I heard that there's a pool. Go swimming."

As Cid grew quiet, Vincent thought his troubles were over. That is, until the Captain of the Tiny Bronco casually said "Come with me."

The raven-haired man glared at the other man. "Don't joke about things like that."

There was another moment of silence, which was followed by Cid saying "Come with me, and I won't bug the shit out of you anymore."

Thinking about the possibility of spending the rest of the boat ride in solitude, the traveler turned towards the ramp leading off the hovercraft, and started towards it. He stopped abruptly when Cid started laughing, and his confused crimson eyes met those of sky blue. "What's so funny?"

Lighting a cigarette, Cid's eyes scanned over Vincent. "You're going dressed like that?"

As usual, another glare came from Vincent. "Is there a problem with the way I dress?"

Shrugging, Cid just said "Nothing's wrong...if you get a kick out of scaring little brats."

Vincent looked down at his attire, and silently agreed with the shorter man. "I don't have anything else..."

With a mischievous smirk, Cid started to head into the hovercraft. "Mizuki got us all bathing suits in Corania. Yours should be in your room."

Dumbfounded, Vincent made his way to his room and found a plain white box on his bed. /When did that get put there?\ the man thought to himself before opening said box. There was a pair of dark red swimming trunks, a black t-shirt, a towel with blue flames on a black background, and some bandages. Smiling a little, Vincent started to undress, changing into his new outfit. Once putting his shirt and shorts on, he bandaged up his hand that wore the gauntlet, covering the tattoo that lay upon it.

---------

"Yahoo!" was what Fallen cried out as he cannon-balled into the pool, splashing Mizuki from head to foot.

"What the hell, Fallen?!" She now stood, her hair matted to her back, as she showed everyone how well-built her body was through her one-piece, which was only a shade lighter than her hair in color.

"What? It was funny." Fallen climbed out of the pool, his blue swimming trunks falling dangerously low as he walked over to Koro, who was reading a book in one of the lounge chairs. This movement also gave Vincent an amazing view of the tattoo that was spread across the green-haired mechanic's back. A pair of dragons, one green and one blue, were battling, using Fallen's back as a battleground. Their bared fangs and sharpened claws looked as if they were trying to rip into each other for the killing blow, but their tails ran off of Fallen's back on either side, and wrapped and intertwined together around the man's navel. "Wasn't it funny?" he asked his blue-haired companion.

Looking up from his book, then quickly down to his forest green shorts, Koro sighed and said "Don't drag me into it. And pull up your trunks."

Looking down, Fallen stared for a second at his muscles before realizing that he was almost giving everyone at the pool a free show. "Sorry." He pulled them up and tied them around his waist tighter, trying his best to avoid Mizuki's 'glare of death.'

Shaking his head, Vincent looked up and closed his eyes, taking in the sun for once. The warmth on his skin felt so good, but he seemed to close his eyes tighter as something shadowed over him. Opening his eyes, he stared into what he thought was the sky, only to realize it was Cid leaning over him.

"...What are you doing, Highwind?"

Cid smiled his usual cocky smile. "Being amazed that you can actually be in sunlight."

"I'm not a vampire, Highwind. Now move."

Shrugging, Cid did move out of the way. "Fine." He then walked to the diving board, and Vincent watched the man walk, watched how his muscles were already shining with sweat formed from the heat of the sun...

Shaking his head, he looked away, only to look again and notice the dangerously low hanging brown swimming trunks that adorned the Captain. Closing his eyes, all Vincent could see was those muscles, and he shook his head and reopened his eyes, glad to see Cid leap from the board and go underwater and out of his sight.

--------

Vincent could see the sun starting to sink behind the horizon, and watched as children and their parents started to head into the ship for dinner, leaving only the traveler and the crew of the Tiny Bronco.

Fallen, Mizuki, and Cid, were now racing each other in crossing the pool, and Koro was still reading, pulling out a small flashlight so as to still be able to read when it got too dark to read. Vincent laid his head back to enjoy a snooze as the others got their fill of fun, only to feel something move beside him and reach its hand into his pocket.

With quick reflexes, Vincent grabbed the wrist of the person and snapped his eyes open, only to look into the face of a teenage girl. Her brown eyes had a mischievous shine to them, as she cried out "Let me go, you pervert! Your hurting me!"

Vincent didn't let go, and this got the attention of the crew. They watched in amazement as Cid climbed out of the pool and walked over to the girl. Kneeling down, he looked into her eyes, and looked to Vincent. "Let her go."

Doing so, the girl gained a smile and said "Thanks, suckers!" as she tried to run off, only to stop as Cid grabbed her braid with the same kind of reflexes Vincent had used before.

"So you aren't as innocent as I thought."

Grinning sheepishly, she scratched the back of her head. "Oops. Busted."

"Why were you trying to pickpocket my friend here?"

The girl shook her head. "I don't have to say anything, you know."

Cid nodded and let go, making the girl curious as he walked over to his things and fished through a bag. Pulling out something, he walked back over to the girl, grabbed her wrist, and placed some Gil in her hand. "Take it and go."

Confused by the kind gesture, she walked away. When almost around the corner, she called out "I'm Yuffie! If you're ever in Yokoto, ask about me and I'll help you with whatever you need!" And with that, she turned the corner, leaving the crew and Vincent alone once more.

"You were too nice." Vincent said quietly, and was confused as he noticed the solemn look and the crews' faces.

"That's how Cid is..." was all Mizuki said before heading to the hovercraft in the cargo bay, and was soon followed by all but Vincent, who stayed behind and watched the moon rise high into the sky, thinking of Cid and his kindness.

------------

The town was quiet except for the noise of waves crashing on the shore and splashing against boats in the harbor. _Banal _was written on the front gate that lead to the plains of the continent. Beneath the gate stood two people, both male.

"This is where he's going to come?" asked the shorter one.

"Yes. That is what the leader said." came from the larger one.

"Good. Now, all we do is wait for our chance."

To be continued...

* * *

SIDE NOTES: Just somethings I'd like to point out here. First, to andrhats. Yes, I've had a few typos, but hey, who's perfect? At least the meaning still got across...I think. Oh, and the whole Vincent's arm? That actually debated among fans. Some say it's a prosthetic(sp?) arm, but others say it's a gauntlet. I prefer the guantlet angle for this story.

Now, for Luna: I figured Reeve was older, but I judged how old he looked from Dirge of Cerberus by my standards, and to me, he looked to be around his late twenties or early thirties. I mean, it's not like I forgot his age or anything -cough cough-

EXTRA FACTS: The tattoo of the dragons was inspired by an idea from my cousin, but he wants it for being cool looking. I might have changed it's meaning in my story, and that will get explained later...maybe. Depends on how generous I feel when writing (or if I remember...)

Thank you, for those that have reviewed, and I hope more people will review more!

Oh, I almost forgot. NOTICE TIME!!! I actually have started another CidxAldrick story. It's being edited now, but I should have it posted tomorrow...or today...considering it's around midnight, but regardless, I might be working more on that story than this one, so this might not be updated sunday like it has been. Decided to give any of my faithful readers a heads up ahead of time.


	6. The Past Rears it's head

Jeez, took me long enough to finish this chapter. What with writer's block, school(which is now over and I'm graduating on this coming thursday), and my busy life, I thought I'd never get to write anymore. But never fear, I'm alive, and the story shall go on!

Disclaimer: Yeah...I don't own FFVII or Cid or Vincent...but I have a Cid keychain...and my friend has a Vincent keychain that calls him an 'angst bunny'...

* * *

"Finally! I thought we'd never get here." Cid stretched as he stood on the port of Banal, a freshly lit cigarette poking out from between his lips. Vincent stood beside him, silently agreeing with the blonde man.

Banal, being a port town, whose main commerce was fishing, had a grand port, with ships of all sizes docked there and the smell of fish wafting from the market. With the sea air and the temperate climate, the town was known as a great relaxation spot.

"So, where to next? We could head Northeast to Yokoto, or Southeast to Tola." Cod asked as the two headed into the town. Already they could see the Tiny Bronco parked outside the town. However, this was not their destination just quite yet. As he waited for the raven-haired man's response, Cid pulled a paper from his pocket that Koro had given him, and on that paper was a list of a few supplies they needed.

Quietly pondering his options, Vincent shrugged, making the captain groan. "Don't you have any idea where you're going?"

The crimson-eyed man just shrugged once again, causing Cid to start muttering about things like "Can't fucking believe this" and "What kind of traveler doesn't know where he's going?" as they continued into town.

------------------

Two men stepped out of the inn, the smaller one, with short, wild white hair, stretched and yawned, the two large gas tanks on his back moving slightly, causing the flammable liquid inside to stir around a little. "Well, he should be here by now..." Looking up to his larger companion, he let out a sadistic grin. "Let's go have some fun."

The larger man, bald, stoic, and with a slightly gray skin tone, simply nodded as he flexed his hands.

"Good. I was getting kinda bored." And with that, the two men walked deeper into the city.

------------------

"I need...some bandages, some first-aid cream...and some...tampons?!(1)"

Vincent shook his head as the Cid yelled the last word out, causing everyone within a twenty meter radius to look directly at him, some of them giggling.

"Damn that Mizuki. She knows damn good and well that I don't buy shit like that for her."

Vincent shrugged as he walked ahead of Cid and into a store. Browsing the shelves, he picked the items Cid had called out(including the tampons), and stopped by the food section when he spotted small, round, blue fruit.

"...Shear said Cid likes blueberries and cinnamon in his tea..."

Picking up a package of blueberries, Vincent calmly took his items to the counter and pulled out the gil that Cid gave him earlier to pay for them, receiving a strange look from the cashier before paying and leaving, all the items in a brown paper bag.

"Did you get everything?" Cid asked as the gunman stepped outside, another new cigarette hanging from him mouth.

Nodding, Vincent started to head off to the Tiny Bronco, as Cid followed.

---------------

"There he is...you know, I missed him." The shorter man said as he turned to the larger man, his hair blowing around slightly from the wind on the rooftops.

Saying nothing, the stoic man just watched as Vincent and the shorter blonde man walked beneath them.

Dropping his head a little, the shorter man, grinning like a maniac, started shaking. "Oh, I missed him so much...I'll make sure he gets 'punished' for this...Hahahahahahaha!!"

----------------

The shrill, sadistic laughter that echoed around the two men caused Cid to look around confused, and Vincent to tense up, his pupils dilated in fear.

"Who the hell is making that much noise?" Cid asked, but Vincent only clutched the paper bag he held tighter.

"Oh, Vincent. I'm hurt. You didn't tell your new friends about us?" said a person in a singsong voice.

Turning to the gunman, Cid's brow furrowed as he noticed Vincent's tensed body and clutched bag. "Vincent? The hell's going on?"

As if on cue, the two men from on the rooftops leaped down, landing on either side of Cid and Vincent. "Simple. We just found our little bitch that ran away. And we want him to come back." came from the shorter male, his eyes wide along with his grin, and a flamethrower in his hands.

Vincent took a step back, and Cid took one forward. "Well, he obviously doesn't want to go. So, fuck off."

The grin on the shorter male widened a little more, as he flicked a switch on his weapon, causing it to lit. Cid could hear electricity crackle behind him, and he turned to see the larger man wield a pair of extremely large tasers. "Well, he obviously doesn't have a choice."

"Tch. Well, ain't this shitty..." the captain said as he reached into his coat and Vincent reached into his bag.

"...Since you obviously don't want to come willingly, I guess we have to use force."

For the first time, the larger man spoke up. "Galian. We were told to bring Vincent back alive."

'Galian' merely shrugged. "Well, I don't plan on killing...just maiming."

There was a brief moment of anticipation and waiting, before, in a flash, 'Galian' fired away and the larger man rushed forward. That's when Vincent and Cid reacted. Cid raised a gun into the air and fired it, causing a flare to go off. Vincent, on the other hand, having wished he brought his gun, threw the tampons at the shorter male. As they passed through the flames that spouted out of the flamethrower, they continued on at him, now ablaze themselves(2).

"The hell?!" 'Galian' exclaimed as he dropped his gun and proceeded to try and protect himself from the flaming women's products. Cid then threw his flare gun at the larger man and grabbed Vincent, running past the shorter man and towards the now started up hovercraft.

"Where do you think you're going?!" the sadistic male cried as he grabbed at Vincent, who slashed at the outstretched arm with his claw. As Galian pulled away, the two males ran and jumped onto a rope ladder that was hanging off of the side of the craft, and the Tiny Bronco pulled away, heading Northeast.

-------------

After making it to the bridge, Cid looked at Vincent, his face serious. "What the fuck was that? Who the hell were those people?"

The three crew members were a little shocked, not knowing what happened, and looked on with curiosity as Vincent said "It's a long story...do you still want to hear it?"

Cid took a seat in his captains chair and propped his feet up, lighting a cigarette as he said "Well, I got time, so spill it."

Vincent looked out the window, placing his bag on the nearest surface, and sighed. "It all started in my hometown, Phalia..."

To be continued...

* * *

(1)Yes, Mizuki is a woman, so I decided that Cid should have to exclaim 'Tampons?!' Poor soul...I do torture him so...and he likes it :D

(2)OMG Flaming tampons of Doom!!!!(alright, so I was bored and decided to be random. Deal with it.)

Okaies, time to be slightly serious. I hope to finish this and my other story by the end of this month...but don't hold your breath, cause I don't know how much time I'm going to spend with my boyfriend. Yes, I'm a guy and DO have a boyfriend(I'm the uke, for those who know they want to know). So, let's all hope for the best...and reviews help speed up the process :)


	7. The Past is Explained

Okay, a really short chapter, but I've been busy, what with going on a family vacation to the beach(with no internet, mind you), finding a job, and, of course, writer's block. Anyways, onto the story! Whee!

Disclaimer(cause I think it's been awhile since I did one...): Cid, Vinnie, and all other Square characters belong to them...not me...otherwise, Cid would get more screen-time. Period.

* * *

"Phalia? I've been there. Cold as hell." Cid said as he took a puff on his cigarette, his feet still propped up.

"Well of course it's cold. It's on the northern-most continent." Mizuki stated matter-of-factly, and Vincent nodded.

"I grew up there. Though, I was a bit of a loner, but one person stayed beside me."

Fallen seemed to smile a little at this. "So, who was this person? Was she 'special?'" he asked as he wiggled his eyebrows.

Once again, Vincent nodded. "Her name was Lucrectia. She was intelligent, beautiful..." Seeming to drift off, the crimson-eyed gunman shook his head and regained his focus. "Around four years ago, she had said she lost the necklace I gave to her when we were younger somewhere in the snowfields. I went to go find it...and ended up meeting with...those people."

Koro seemed intrigued. "You mean, the people who attacked you today?"

Vincent nodded. "They are part of a bandit group near Phalia. The Demons."

"Not very original..." Fallen mumbled as he sat next to Koro, who didn't seem to notice.

"Hey! Shut the fuck up and let Vin tell his story!" Cid yelled from his spot, which Vincent quietly thanked him for, tired of being interrupted.

"They, of course, wanted anything of value I had, but...I didn't have anything they wanted...so they took me, instead..."

The bridge seemed to grow quiet, sans the noise of the Tiny Bronco as it still traveled Northeast.

Cid was the first to break the silence. "What'd they..." He stopped himself, as if dipping his toe in a pool to see if it was safe.

"Do to me?" Vincent took off his cloak and shirt, his gauntlet staying on, and revealed numerous scars, burns, and marks that were permanently etched into his body. "Too many things..."

There was silence once again. Koro, though, seemed to tense a little, and Fallen reached over and lightly gripped his hand.

It was once again the captain that broke the silence. "And the claw?"

Vincent, now unable to hide behind his cloak's high collar, visibly flinched. Taking off the gauntlet, he revealed the tattoo that was drawn into his hand. "It's to cover this...and to remind myself...that I was once a part of them."

Staring at the pentacle tattoo, the crew seemed both horrified and intrigued. "What are the letters for?" Koro asked, his face slightly flushed, as Fallen wrapped his arm around the blue-haired man.

Vincent half-closed his eyes, looking towards the floor. "Each letter is an initial to the members name." Pointing at the bottom two points and the letters GB and DG, Vincent started his explanation. "Galian Beast and Death Gigas are the two that attacked me and Highwind in Banal. Always paired together, they are the two lowest in the ranking. However, Death Gigas is what keeps Galian in line, and Galian is sadistic. These scars-" Vincent motioned to his chest. "-were mostly from him."

"The HM is Hellmasker. He's sadistic as well, but in a different and more disturbing way. He likes to experiment on his victims..."

"The C is Chaos...he's the visual leader of the group, and the strongest. He's the one that actually put the tattoo on my hand..."

Mizuki raised her hand, then started to speak. "What do you mean, 'visual leader?' Is he the leader or not?"

Vincent shook his head. "He's the puppet of the true leader, who works in the shadows. That's the H...Hojo..."

There was another awkward silence, before Fallen asked "What do the middle letters stand for?"

Koro spoke next. "The VV has to be his name, Vincent Valentine. And the DB...I'll assume it's Demon's Bitch?"

Vincent nodded as he started to redress himself. Once his claw and shirt were on, he started on his cloak, but stopped when he realized that Cid was standing in front of him. It was in less than a second that the captain wrapped his arms around the gunman.

Vincent's face dug into the man's chest as he ended up getting bent down. "Highwind..."

"What?"

"...What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Cid let go, only to stare into Vincent's very pissed off face. He quietly went back to his seat. After a moment, though, he spoke up. "So, how did you escape?"

Vincent put his cloak on, and stared from over the high collar. "...Lucrectia saved me..."

The ship suddenly stopped, and Mizuki scratched the back of her head. "Umm...we're at Yokoto...and they kinda have a gate."

Cid went out on the deck, and started shouting at the guards, swear words intricately laced into the shouts, and Vincent came out onto the deck as well, and peered down at the guards.

On Vincent's arrival, the guards seemed to get excited, and called up "Do you know a girl named Yuffie?!"

After a moment of thought, and remembering that pickpocket on the boat, Vincent nodded.

The guards seemed to jump as they hurriedly opened the gates, and Cid went back into the bridge, while Vincent stayed back on the bridge. As the ship started to move, Vincent could have sworn that he heard the guards yelling "Say hi to the princess for us!!"

To be continued...

* * *

OMG! Princess?! What's going to happen next?!...actually, I'm not sure yet...stuff? Eh heh heh heh...okay, yeah, read and review...please? More reviews might help Cid get some from Vinnie...

Cid: What?! Really?! You little fan people need to review! Now, dammit!

Vin: ...I am not someone you can just whore out...

Byne: -grabs pencil- Really? Would you like to test that?

Vin: ...-walks away-

Byne:3 That's what I thought.

Cid: ...Can you whore him out?

Byne: ...meh-beh :3 Depends on the amount of reviews

Cid: Oh God! Review, people! Help me get with that raven-haired god!

Byne: Get off your knees. It's pathetic...


	8. She's a princess!

Now that I've had time, what with helping with my cousin's wedding and finding a job, I've finally written another chapter!...though it's kinda short for my tastes, but I plan for the next chapter to be longer. So, onto the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own pretty much anything that's in this story...well, cept for the crew members...and I guess Hikaru is mine, too.

* * *

The throne room of Yokoto Palace was large and spacious, the walls adorned with numerous silk tapestries that depicted epic battles and legends of yore. Multiple male guards, each armed with a naginata, lined the walkway to the throne, and they all had their eyes on the crew of the Tiny Bronco.

"My Lord Godo, I must apologize for our sudden intrusion into your land." Koro had stepped forward to speak for the group, and Vincent had been relieved because of it. Not because the gunman didn't want to speak, but because the Captain was having a hissy-fit over the face that the palace engineers were laying their 'un-fucking-worthy hands' on his 'baby.'

The Lord waved his hand in the air. "Think nothing of it. Especially after what you did for my daughter."

Vincent cocked his head in confusion, and Koro responded with "I don't understand. When did we help your daughter, the princess?"

Just as Godo was about to answer, the main doors opened, and the Lord smiled. "I present to you, my daughter, princess of Yokoto."

Six female guards surrounded the princess, each equipped with light armor and a slightly smaller version of the male guards' naginatas. The two in front moved to the side, and revealed to the room the princess. Dressed in a beautiful crimson kimono, one that seemed just a tiny bit too large for her, stood Yuffie with her eyes closed. As soon as they opened, they scanned the visitors, and upon seeing Vincent, a shrill, happy squeal escaped her as she ran all the way to him and leaped, grabbing him around the neck and saying "I knew you'd come! That's why I pulled out my mother's kimono." Letting go, she stepped back a step and did a quick twirl, then pointed at Vincent's cloak. "See? We match!"

Vincent, as pale as he was, paled a little more. Cid, already angered, started to turn red. "What the fuck?! This brat's a princess?!"

Yuffie stuck her tongue out at Cid. "Be quiet, old man. You should be happy Vincent was with you. If he hadn't given me the money, I might not have made it back here so soon."

Cid's entire face became as red as the kimono. "Like hell he did! That was me, and because I felt sorry for you! You were trying to steal from Vin!"

Godo looked down at his daughter. "Is this true?"

Blushing, Yuffie quietly said "...Maybe?"

Vincent nodded, but let out a small yelp of surprise as the girl clung to his arm. "What are you doing?"

Yuffie looked up at him, and Godo answered for her. "It seems she's taking a liking to you."

Vincent looked up at Godo, then at the crew. Koro, seemed to hide behind his glasses, letting the light catch them just right so no one could see past them. Fallen and Mizuki seemed shocked, their mouths open and eyes wide. Cid...well, Cid wasn't exactly happy.

"This brat likes Vincent?! She's almost half his age! Not to mention a thief! This is fucking ridiculous! I getting out of here before some other weird shit happens!" With that, the Captain left the throne room, glaring at the guards that dared glare at him as he left.

Koro cleared his throat. "Well, I must apologize for him. He has...a temper."

Godo laughed loudly, startling everyone. "Oh, it's no trouble! I know how much of a pain my daughter can be."

This got a "Hey!" from Yuffie, but the Lord continued. "Well, I must insist you all stay here for at least a night. It's only fair, since you did help my daughter."

The crew seemed to think it over, then unanimously agreed to stay. Godo smiled, and said "Then, I'll have the guards lead you to your rooms, and Yuffie will stay with me so we can discuss things, like running away."

Yuffie paled, and let go of Vincent's arm. The crew was being lead away as the yelling started, and the gunman was thankful that he didn't have to listen to it.

They were led by one of the male guards, and after some walking, stopped outside three rooms. "These are your rooms. One for the lady, and the other two for the four guys. You can sleep anyway you like, just pick for yourselves. I'm Hikaru, and if you need anything, I'll be there to help. Now, if you excuse me."

As he left, Koro and Fallen walked into the middle room and shut the door, leaving Vincent and Mizuki alone. "Well, I guess you get the Captain then. Once you find him, you should probably head off to bed. It's been a long day for both of you." Mizuki then went into her room, locking the door shut behind her.

Vincent sighed, and headed out to find the Captain. He searched the palace, but came up with nothing, and still got nothing when he searched the Tiny Bronco, which held no life, not even the engineers that had been searching it earlier.

The sun had started to set, and Vincent made his way to outside the palace. Standing on the bridge that lead to the town, he stared over the side and into the water, looking at his reflection in the fiery light.

"Hey, Vin, what do you think of the brat?"

Vincent blinked at the question. "She's young, and...I don't feel anything towards her. Why?"

Cid shook his head. "No reason. Just...no, it's nothing."

Vincent patted the smoker's shoulder. "We should get to bed."

"Yeah." Putting his cigarette out on the ground, he stood and followed Vincent, a small, content smile on his face.

--------------------

"No! Stay back!" the woman screamed. She had crawled into the corner of her bedroom, and was trapped as the masked figure that broke into her home slowly got closer.

"I'm supposed to be finding someone, but they didn't say I couldn't do anything fun." The woman couldn't see it, but could feel the malicious grin behind the mask, and screamed as the long, serrated blade swung down on her, and silenced her voice.

She lay on the floor, bleeding out as she stared at the man that attacked her, trying to gasp for breath. She could just barely feel the man rub his thumb along her lips, and distantly heard a small laugh, before everything seemed to blur, and turn to a cold, frightening darkness.

* * *

Yuffie likes Vin? And she's a princess?! And someone is killing people for fun?!!!...well, it happens. Wait till the next chapter, it'll be good...well, I'm hoping, at least. R&R, please! 


	9. Locked up

Well, as long as it took me, I finally finished another chapter. Sorry, those who've been waiting for so long...lots of things got in the way, and none of them good, nor decent excuses, so I'll just let you get to the story

* * *

Vincent, fully dressed, had been up for a while now, and sat in the window of his room in the palace, staring out into the inner courtyard as he waited for his roommate to wake up.

With a couple grumbles and a hacking cough, Cid finally woke up from his sleep, only to stare at the raven-haired man. "How long you been up?"

"Only thirty minutes" the gunman said while shrugging.

With a few more incoherent grumbles, riddled with numerous curses, the Captain got up and headed into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Vincent let out a sigh. He was anxious, and waiting for the Captain wasn't helping him get over the fact that the Demons were looking for him.

A sudden knocking on his door startled him, and Mizuki opened it and poked her head into the room, a mischievous smile playing across her lips. "Great, you're up. Come here, let me show you something."

Getting up, Vincent walked out of the room, noting that the purple-haired woman had opened the door to Koro and Fallen's room and was standing by it, puffing out her chest with pride. "Go ahead, take a peek."

Going to the door, Vincent peeked into the room, and his jaw dropped a fraction of an inch as he stared at the two.

They were sharing a bed, with Fallen on his back and Koro cuddling into the mechanic's side. As far as Vincent could tell, they were shirtless, but couldn't tell anything else thanks to the blanket that covered them from the waist's down and didn't see any clothes on the floor. He did, however, see Koro open his eyes and fling a dart at him. Quickly ducking his head, the dart missed, and he heard the blue-haired male growl "Get out."

Quickly leaving and closing the door, Vincent stared at Mizuki, who calmly said "What? It was kinda obvious. Besides, I think they're cute."

The gunman closed his eyes and shook his head. Obvious? Maybe a little. Cute? He just couldn't see it.

Heading back to his room, he noticed the Captain on his bed, smoking a cigarette, looking ready to go. "Well, I figured Mizuki had stolen you. And from the feeling of evil from the next room, she showed you the two punks and one of them woke up."

Vincent nodded, and Cid got up. "It's odd. They're nothing alike, and yet..." Looking at the gunman, the captain said "You sure you don't like Yuffie?" his voice unsure and nervous sounding.

Cocking his head to the side, Vincent said "No. I told you that yesterday. Why would you ask again?"

Cid smirked, as the ash on the end of his cig fell to the floor. "It's nothing. Just trying to understand things."

"What's there to understand?"

Right before the captain could answer, Mizuki walked into the room, and three guards rushed by the room, all of them seeming to be in a panicked hurry.

"Apparently someone was killed in town. The entire palace is in an uproar." the purple-haired girl stated, as if this clarified everything. Vincent seemed to tense his entire body, but Cid seemed confused.

"We should leave. Now, preferably, before they think of it." Koro said as he walked into the room, heading straight for the window and watching out of it, as Fallen(both now fully dressed) closed the door and took a couple steps away from it, joining the rest of the group.

"I don't see why we should have to leave."

Vincent shook his head, his raven hair swaying with the motion. "You're an idiot, Highwind."

Turning red, the captain turned to Vincent, ready to spew out curses and insults at the insult of his intelligence, when the door opened a little, and a small black ball was thrown in.

Vincent and Koro immediately covered their nose and mouth with their hands and back away as soon as the ball started to release a purple smoke. "The fuck is...that..." was all Cid could let out before inhaling the gas and fainting, falling to the floor in a crumpled heap as Fallen and Mizuki quickly followed suit.

"Knockout gas? So, they really thought it..." Koro said, his face blank as he fell to the floor, a hand reaching for Fallen.

The gas made it's way to Vincent, and the gunman quietly muttered "Shit..." before falling to his knees. As he fell forward, he could swear he heard someone say "I'm so sorry..."

_Lucretia? _was his final thought before losing consciousness.

* * *

Vincent woke and lifted himself up into a sitting position, realizing that he, along with the others, were seperated into dungeon cells. Mizuki was drawing in the dust on the walls, Cid was swearing and pacing like a caged tiger, Fallen was watching Koro, and Koro...Vincent was shocked at Koro. He was pale, shaking visible throughout his entire body, his eyes closed as he was quietly muttering to himself.

"Ah, glad to see sleeping beauty is finally fucking awake. Now, you can tell me WHY THE FUCK WE'RE IN HERE!" Cid screamed, which Vincent didn't seem to visibly react to.

"First, you're screaming won't help. Second, we appear in the city, and someone gets killed, of course they'd suspect us. Finally, is he going to be alright?"

Fallen was quiet when he spoke, saying "Koro's past...it wasn't pretty. This place is bringing back bad memories..."

Cid rubbed the back of his neck, sighing. "Look, I'm sorry. I haven't had a cigarette today yet, and they took the ones I had on me..."

Mizuki, never looking up, just said "So, we wait for them to judge our fate, and hope we get lucky."

Vincent scooted against the wall, closing his eyes. _Was it really Lucretia that I heard? But I thought..._

* * *

Welp, I guess that's it for now...next chapter is already planned out, it's just a matter of typing it up. Hope you guys(and gals) don't mind waiting a little longer...


	10. Koro's past, breaking out and new allies

Okay, so I've been inspired to type up my story once again(you can thank Crisis Core for that). Here's my chapter 10...a little short, but overall, it covered what I wanted it to cover...enjoy!

* * *

Hours had passed, and after the meal they were brought(a pitiful bowl of rice and funny tasting water which everyone refused to drink), they sat quietly, Mizuki tapping her foot against the floor being the only source of noise.

"Is he really going to be okay?" Vincent asked, his eyes on Koro's shivering form.

Everyone seemed to glance at Koro, before Fallen stared at Vincent. "Do you know how they break wild chocobos?"

Vincent cocked his head, trying to think, but had no idea. Personally, he thought it was too much of a hassle to take care of one, anyways, so he had nothing to do with the giant birds. Shaking his head, Fallen sighed.

"They tie them to a strong post, and leave them for a few days without food or water. They basically did that to Koro...he didn't like some of the things they did...the gang we were in wasn't exactly good people, and he refused to do some things. So, they locked him up...and he gets like this every single time he's locked up. They broke him..."

Vincent glanced at Koro, knowing all to well about how the man felt. One could say it was a sense of pity, but it wasn't that...no, more of an empathy.

Steps were heard coming closer to the cells, and everyone seemed to just look away, staring at a wall or window, like nothing was happening. However, when the person finally came into their line of vision, everyone's jaw dropped.

Yuffie, twirling a ring of keys on her finger, grinned at Vincent. "Looks like I came just in time for you guys, huh? Now, let's get you out of here."

Cid huffed at her. "Look, brat, we don't want your help, so go play with something sharp or something."

Yuffie, not even looking at the gruff man, simply said "Well, you could be executed in an hour, or you could let me help...besides, who said I was helping you, old man. I'm help to help Vincent." And she proceeded to let Vincent out of his cell, and get the others out as well, happily avoiding Cid's cell.

"Oh yeah? Well, what if we were the killers? We could just kill you, you know?"

Yuffie, after unlocking everyone's cells(except for Cid's, of course) watched as Fallen rushed into Koro's cell and picked up the blue-haired man bridal style, holding him close. "It wasn't you guys...besides, I doubt that you'd do something like that anyway. You're all too nice...way too nice...I mean, you gave some girl you didn't even know some gil even after she tried to steal from you. Sweet Leviathan, you'd have to be either really nice or really stupid-"

Vincent quickly placed his hand over her mouth, effectively getting the princess to shut up, and stopping Cid from getting madder. "How did you know it wasn't us?" the gunman asked.

Removing the man's hand from her mouth, Yuffie responded with "None of your weapons matched the killer's. His seemed to be serrated, like a saw, but longer, thinner, like a sword...very odd, if you ask me..."

Vincent seemed to pale at the description, muttering "Hellmasker...," though no one heard him, as they were staring at Yuffie.

"How'd the fuck you figure that out?" Cid asked, reaching through the bars and failing to reach the girl or the keys in her hands.

"I'm not an idiot, that's how."

Vincent, still pale(r than usual), grabbed the keys from Yuffie and let Cid out of his cell, and started for the exit, while everyone followed, even the princess.

Yuffie, eventually taking the lead, led the group to their hovercraft while avoiding the guards, and got on the Tiny Bronco, waving for them to come on aboard as well, and got confused by the weird looks. "What?"

"Get off my ship, brat."

Glaring at Cid, she puffed out her cheeks. "Like hell, old man. I'm coming, and so is my guard."

"Guard? Like fucking hell. Get the fuck off, now."

Mizuki waved the captain off, a smile on her face. "Aw, now captain, is that any way to treat a princess? Especially after she helped us get out and can easily put _us back in_?"

Cid thought about it, and headed off to the bridge, muttering about 'getting a smoke and starting this fucker up.'

Yuffie jumped in excitement, then hugged Mizuki tightly. "Thanks! I won't forget that!"

Fallen, still carrying Koro, went into the ship, and a guard walked onto the deck. "Hikaru?" Vincent asked, remembering the guard from before.

Grinning and scratching the back of his head, the guard laughed. "Yeah. The princess wanted to go, and since I found out about it, it was either I go or face her or her father's wrath...so, the lesser of two evils, I guess."

"Hey!"

"Sorry, princess. Anyways, we took two rooms that were unoccupied. I hope this isn't too much trouble..."

Mizuki waved him off. "Nah, it's fine. Besides, if I'm thinking this right..." The ship started to vibrate, then lifted off the ground before moving forward, making a line drive for the exit. "Yep, the captain's ready."

The ship weaved through the hills between the palace and the gate, and, with the gate wide open, they blasted out of Yokoto, and off to the south, to Tola.

* * *

Well, I guess that's pretty good.

Fallen:What?

Cid: That's it?

Yes...for now. Gotta save stuff for the later chapters. Duh! Stay tuned, cause I should get the next chapter done relatively soon.


End file.
